Crossing Paths
by Devilion13
Summary: This is a Human!Nomicon AU, based in the future without the ninja suit. Randy is a troubled teen struggling to make ends meet to survive. His best friend Howard is unaware of the troubles Randy is facing. When a new student transfers to Randy's school, his world will be even more twisted than before! RandyXNomicon! Rating may change.
1. New Student

_**This chapter is mainly to introduce side characters that will be used later on in the story. The next chapter will start to get in depth on the main characters.**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

He arrived late again, barely stumbling through the door and ripping off his shoes hastily. It was the sixth time in less than a month that the wiry male had just slipped through the doors of his ancient dojo and slithered onto the old, worn blue exercise mat to his correct spot and handed in his slip of paper, marking the day so his instructor knew he went. It wasn't really a surprise to the male, who had to juggle his part time job and homework into his busy schedule, that he was late. Luckily, the employees understood.

It was a relaxed sort of place, where people came to get a decent workout and be taught self defence in the quaint dojo that hadn't been bought by McFist Industries yet. The little place was old, anyone with eyes could see the rust on the corners and walls of the outside of the building, partly hidden by the ivy that acted like a living curtain. The once brightly cream colored building had turned a sludge grey over time, with cracks appearing on it from frozen piping that had desperately needed repairs, when a few winters ago the city was hit by a brutal snowstorm that easily iced everything.

Luckily, people from the dojo offered to help melt the liquid before too much damage was done to the walls and pipes. The same thing had happened for several years until the male had donated a rather alarming sum of money to the building to replace the pipes and help them hold up against the harsh weather. The cracks were still there, but none were all that new.

The inside of the building held up much better than the outside, though its walls were faded and the equipment old. It didn't really matter, though. The building itself was so small, having only one changing room and bathroom, and a tiny seven by four foot office for all three instructors who worked there. In the main room, students were all given their own cubbies, no matter the age, to put their shoes and backpacks away. The cubbies helped with keeping the chaotic waiting area slightly controlled.

Clinging to the scruffy outer walls of the training area were battered black boxes with their edges worn and white fuzz peeking out of the tangles of black string that had once held them together. The boxes held old Fairtex handheld kick and punching bags, with some of the straps worn, but not broken. The dojo, though well advanced in its years, had good employees who spent a ridiculous amount of time keeping the gear inside well maintained.

After a quick review of what the small pre-adult class was doing for the hour and a half, the teacher, who simply went by the name Mr. Kovar, dismissed them for exactly two minutes. During that time, the male went to his locker, which he had gotten for free after registering as a member, and neatly placed his shoes and socks inside. He paused, a dark wine red and black bag in his hand and closed his eyes, calming himself.

'It's alright...I made it in time...'

His eyes reopened, determined light glimmering in their sapphire depths. The male pulled out some of his own highly maintained gear and stuffed them into his blue belt before going back onto the worn training area, pausing only to bow deeply before walking to the starting point of the mat for his warm-up drills. Other students quickly joined him, not wanting to be left out, and soon the group was basically a black and white, with the occasional ruby red, mass of students. Personal boundaries were practically unheard of, after all, this was a martial arts dojo, physical contact was incredibly common.

"Alright, let's start with your warm-ups," stated Mr. Kovar. "Cunningham, you take over for a bit, I've got some work to do...new student."

The male, now identified as Cunningham, started running forward, before making a sharp turn to his left side, keeping sure that his feet only touched the blue part of the training mat, weaving expertly around the grey strips that painted the floor. Other students quickly started racing after the male once the instructor nodded his head.

Mr. Kovar was a stout, somewhat bald gentleman who looked much, much older than his true age and had glimmering sea-green eyes. He was wise beyond his years but appeared to, and acted like, he had next to none in the common sense department, but, unfortunately for others, he was incredibly shrewd. He had been practicing martial arts since he was a teen, after he was involved in a horrible injury that had appeared to have been the worst thing ever possible.

Even though the portly man didn't appear it, he had been a football star; a golden tackler. Mr. Kovar, in his prime as a football player, was a strong man who could often be found delivering flowers to his girlfriend or staying after school to help teachers in anyway possible. He was the popular kid on campus, but unlike the others, he wasn't arrogant. He was the straight A student who knew every single person in the entire school, and could successfully make each and everyone of them crack a smile, if not a laugh.

He was a gentle, compassionate man. Colleges lined up, one after the other to have him enroll in _their_ school. Then there was the accident. Kovar suffered from a serious back injury that forced him into a full body cast and permanently paralyzed the upper part of his right leg. He had all but given up once he got the news. He pushed away his girlfriend and parents and shut down. All the offers to different colleges disappeared in a puff of smoke, as did his grades.

It was one night when he chanced upon a young child sitting idly on a bench in a park that Kovar frequently visited. The teen parked his wheelchair several feet away from the child. Neither spoke, both painfully aware of the other, yet not really wanting to move.

 _ **~Flashback~**_

The dank smell of the city wafted around the young adult as he pushed his wheelchair with his arms to the small public part where he would take his girl and they would relax, watching the children run around in the brightly painted red, green, and blue playground. A small drop of water hit his nose, and he paused slightly before continuing on to a bench.

He noticed a small pile of clothing on the bench, before realizing that they were being worn by a small child. Turning so that he and the bench were facing the same direction, he pulled the brakes on his mobile chair and stared at his lap, listening to the small frogs slowly start singing their song as the leapt through the dancing grass that was being spurred on the the cold wind. Leaves whispered on towering trees and relished the drizzle that was being spilled onto them by weeping cloudy, as dark as spilt ink.

The warm yellow light that slanted from a winking lamppost watched the two calmly, blinking carefully as it illuminated the tears that fell from above. The child couldn't have been more than five, but here he was, without a parent in a park. His sky blue gown was dirty, covered in mud that gripped to the material, clutching to red that looked too much like blood.

Kovar felt uneasy near the child. "Hey-"

The child snapped up, his pale bony body straight as a stick, eyes wide but dead. He looked malnourished and unhealthy, bones poking through his small, lithe figure.

"-kid...You alright…?"

The boy blinked owlishly, eyes scanning the man over, causing Kovar to feel as if he was looking right through him, seeing all of his fears, dreams, and thoughts. He gathered up all of the brightly colored colored objects that had been hidden by his body as he bent over them, and stuffed them into a plain black tote bag. It looked like a woman's purse. He jumped up from the bench, sunk in eyes never leaving the teen once as he stood on filthy mud brown socks that had once been white.

The leaves stopped their speeches. The light dared not blink, for fear of missing the show about to begin. The animals stopped singing, evidently sensing the tension in the air. Only the wind swept, laughing at the fear and worry. Laughing at the misery. Kovar wished he hadn't said anything as the skeleton with skin padded softly to him, his steps uneven.

"Are you?" his voice was high pitched and sounded gravelly, he sounded like he hadn't spoke in a long time.

Kovar froze, shell shocked. This...child...It was like a scene out of a horror movie. Sharp cheekbones poked out from his cheeks, his eyes hidden in his face, dark...a stony grey color. He was dead inside. His ghostly pale skin gripped his bones, as if it would slip off of the child if it loosened its grip. But this child...was asking about his health.

"Y-yeah…"

The boy nodded, the frown so deep on his face it was unnatural. "That's good."

"Why…" the boy lowered his eyes to his socks. "Why're you out here, kiddo?"

"I was in an accident."

"Car crash?"

The child didn't answer. He looked at the teary sky, the wet bench, his muddy socks, anywhere but at the man in front of him.

He repeated. "I was in an accident."

Kovar nodded. "I see."

Neither spoke. The leaves, assuming the talk was over, began to murmur again. The frogs called out again, and the light blinked again. Kovar started to feel as if it were time to leave the park and the child, before the boy opened his mouth, wanting to speak, before closing it again. He repeated the motion several times before swallowing and speaking.

"Why were you crying?"

...What?

The child looked at him, almost accusingly. "You were crying."

...What?

Kovar smiled, but the boy didn't buy it. Not at all.

"I got hurt. I was in an accident."

"Why are you alone?"

The child sat on the wet polished gray stone, deadened eyes glowing with something…

And Kovar caved. There, in the rain, with the singing frogs and winking lamp, with the inky rain and whispering leaves, he cried. He told this small skeleton with skin everything. The accident, his grades, his parents, his girlfriend, his future. Gone. All of it. And the child joined in on the other's crying.

"Why're you crying kid?"

"That's horrible!" he wailed.

"Well...I can't do anything about it…." Kovar forced a smile.

"But…" the boy stared at him. The glow from before was there, stronger than before. "Couldn't you talk with them?"

"What?"

This boy...this boy why appeared to have nothing...he appeared intelligent...but he was just a child. How could he give advice?! Look at him! Why did he care?! It didn't matter!...But...why...why was this boy...being so kind? It wasn't like there was anything he could give the child...no gain for the skeleton. Why was he being so kind?!

"They love you...right?" The skeleton slowly started to grin. "Tell them what you told me. They'll understand."

Kovar shook his head. "They won't!"

He couldn't believe this. This little kid was giving him advice?! Absurd. Ridiculous. This had to be a joke, and Kovar was done.

"Look, kid, go home to your mom."

That wasn't smart. Not at all.

"My mom's dead. I killed her."

Kovar froze, hand halfway to the slick brake. He shuddered, completely soaked through to the underwear he was wearing.

"You killed her…?"

The boy jumped up. Eyes teary. "It was an accident!"

This skeleton, who couldn't be older than five, wearing a baggy sky blue hospital gown covered with mud and blood, gripping a large black women's tote bag, shivered. "It was an just an accident."

And this was where Kovar started worrying. What if the boy was from some sort of mental hospital?! He must be insane! No one would be so kind to a loser like him! The boy was a murderer, and was insane. The boy sniffed.

"W-we were t-t-talking…" he blubbered. "I-I w-w-want her b-back!"

This boy was insane.

"And th-the car...h-hit us!"

'No...he isn't,' whispered the more rational part of his brain. 'He's like you...something happened, and that messed him up.'

"But it wasn't really your fault, now was it?"

The boy sniffed. "N-no…"

Kovar patted his lap. The boy stared, eyes huge. Then he climbed up the wheelchair like a little monkey and sat on the young adult's lap.

"I'll give you a ride home, okay kid?"

"Okay."

Neither spoke as the boy simply pointed to the other, guiding him. Neither really had anything to say… They mulled over their chat, the strange person who they seemed to know so well yet were so different. Several people stared at the soaking wet handicapped teen with the skeleton child. Most ignored them. No one tried to help.

When Kovar saw where he was taking the boy, he shook his head, surprised he hadn't made the connection before. It probably had to do with the fact there were so many things racing through his head. The boy was showing him the way to a hospital.

Once inside the sterilized, polished white environment, with nurses racing around with charts clutched in their pale hands, Kovar took the boy to the front office. The nurse took one look at the little child and raced around the bulky desk to the him, scooping him up and thanking the teen over and over.

The boy simply gazed around, seeming slightly embarrassed by the attention, and apologising for throwing a fit earlier. The nurse laughed and called to one of her friends, asking her to help the boy clean the scrapes that had been hidden by the gown but had successfully bled through. The first nurse gently placed the boy down, and whispered something in his ear. He grinned and started digging around in the large woman's purse.

The child stuffed something into the man's lap before racing off after the second nurse who had tears dancing in her eyes but a smile on her face. The item the boy had given him was a doll of sorts. It was incredibly well made and beautiful, with cleverly placed stitching to raise the overall quality of the item.

"Thank you."

He looked up. The nurse from the desk was gazing down at him kindly. He nodded.

"I've not seen him so happy before...He's usually hiding in his room with those dolls of his, drawing and playing."

Kovar grinned. The boy sounded so calm and sweet. He wondered what drove the child to run.

"Thank you," she stared straight at him.

"May I ask, what happened?"

The nurse mistook what he meant, thinking he was talking about why the boy was here in the first place instead of why he fled to the park.

"Well, I'm not allowed to go into too much detail about his or his mom's medical condition...but he was in a car crash. Another car hit them, the driver was drunk and he killed the two passengers he had with him," she glanced away. "From the police report and the current report from the investigation, that's basically all we know."

And he…

"...thinks he killed his mom because they were talking together moments before the crash," she finished his unspoken question.

Kovar shook his head and looked again at the item in his hand.

 _ **~End Flashback~**_

"Mr. Kovar!"

The man jumped. "Y-yes?"

"What do you want us to do next?"

He looked out into the sea of grinning, sweaty faces. "Grab a partner and start practicing your reflexes."

The mixed group of teens nodded and went about picking their friends, all the while chattering excitedly. It was a positive group, a mixed class of girls and boys, honor students and band players, nerds and geeks, gamers and jocks. A group where all the different classes and ages that had stopped them from interacting at their schools didn't exist here.

Mr. Kovar felt a slight tug on his shirt sleeve and turned to see a young redheaded teenager stare up at him. "I am here for a tryout class."

He had a noticeable japanese accent, but his english was flawless. The teen looked to be about sixteen, maybe a little older, and he was dressed in the required all black uniform. He had sharp mahogany eyes, and matured features to him, an air of wealth surrounded the male.

"Of course...right this way...uh…"

"Nomicon Norisu. You may call me Nomi," he was calm, polite, well mannered. It wasn't what was usually expected.

Most of the teenage students were nice, but no where near as formal as Nomi Norisu. The dojo itself was laidback, and among other dojos, was known as a joke for their 'hawaiian-like behavior.' New students were always welcome, and were treated with respect from both the adults and their peers, with the same expected in return.

Mr. Kovar grinned radiantly. "Do you want me to explain how this place works?"

The redhead shook his head, causing his bangs to fall back into his face. "I already know what to do here, sir. I've been to other karate dojos before."

The head instructor simply shook his head before ruffling Nomi's shaggy hair, the grin never faltering. "You've been at a dojo before?"

"Yes, and before I forget, sir, there's something I need to speak with you about."

A pause.

"In private, sir."

A longer pause.

"Alrighty, kiddo, let's go to my office."

A snort was heard from another instructor who was watching the students race around the training area. Mr. Kovar joined in with her laughter.

Nomi followed the large man to the mini shared office in the back of the dojo. The door closed lightly and the stout man made himself at home on a worn black office chair. The room also showed signs of aging, but it wasn't dirty, with a old, bulky computer resting on an antique dark wooden desk. There was a stripe of black electrical tape across the floor and on the far side of the room there was a long mirror spanning the length of the whole wall. A second desk was pushed against the one with the old-fashioned computer, and with it came a slightly newer chair that had a dent in the top left corner.

Nomi perched upon the edge of the dented chair and watched the instructor with narrowed eyes. Mr. Kovar seemed to not notice, as he sat, smiling pleasantly at the young man who appeared to be trying to drill holes into the older man's head. Neither spoke for a time, simply waiting for something to happen.

There was a rather long silence, filled only with the near silent ticks of a wall clock.

Mr. Kovar continued to sink into his office chair, still with his eerily calm smile stretched across his face.

Nomi inhaled silently, mouth beginning to open as he was about to speak.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a bang, startling the stout man right out of his chair and causing the redhead to whip around, one hand in his karate gi. Cunningham, his face flushed with sweat, peered through the door at the two. Upon seeing their shocked looks, he cracked a grin, lighting up his deep blue eyes even more.

"Sorry 'bout that," he spoke breathlessly. "Didn't mean to scare ya."

"No worries," said the instructor easily, having already recovered from the startling event and was again comfortably wedged in between the armrests on the old chair. "What do you need, make it quick."

"Miss Kaiko took us through all of the drills. She wants to know what you want us to do next."

"Of course she did."

Cunningham snorted.

Nomi was watching the whole affair through constricted mahogany eyes. The two acted easily around one another, trading mocking blows laced in with requests and orders, grins painting their face. This dojo was unusual, it wasn't what he had been expecting. The redhead had hoped that this place would be strict...it wasn't. Oh dear…

"-alright. This is gonna be so Bruce!" He heard the door slam again as the purple-haired male raced back to his sweaty class, beaming from ear to ear.

Mr Kovar chuckled and focused his attention back onto Nomi. "As you were saying, kiddo?"

Nomi didn't share his smile.

* * *

Randy frowned. It wasn't uncommon for the dojo to get new students...but most of them were simply shy. Nomi wasn't. He wasn't anything. He followed instructions to a T, and his sparring partners didn't stand a chance. His reflexes were absurd, he switched and whirled, punched and kicked so easily, as if he had been born for the simple purpose of defending attacks while throwing his own punches. It was obvious he had history in martial arts, and most people in the class were unsure of how to deal with such a vicious and unusual fighting style.

The cyan eyed male watched the other, beginning to start staring out into space, only to be punched heavily, arms instinctively shooting up to block the blow and taking the brute end of the blow.

"What?! That was so not cool, dude!"

"You need to pay attention," joked one of the students who was sparring not six feet away. He, in turn, was whacked by his own partner, an amused look on their face.

Randy grumbled good naturedly and resumed the fighting stance, legs bent, eyes focused, head clear. They circled, watching the other carefully, all noise from other groups faded and, suddenly, the other's hand twitched. Randy lunged forward, blocking the cross and jab thrown at him and landing his own hit, lightly, of course. The two continued the go back and forth, using any advantage the other gave, deftly dodging and lunging forward.

It went on like that for several minutes until a gong was heard, resounding throughout the dojo and causing the teens to break any concentration that they currently had. The group raced over to a mat and practically dove into the ground, sitting with their feet neatly tucked under their bottoms.

"Good job today, everyone!" Mr. Kovar was grinning like crazy. "And, as you all know, we have a new student. Nomi, kiddo, would you come up here?"

As the redhead stood and approached the large man, a startling amount of clapping erupted from Cunningham, quickly joined by the others until everyone was letting out excited cheers. Nomi felt slightly embarrassed at the attention and quickly went up to receive his white belt. Another round of clapping went around the room as the kids started to get up, bowing first to their teacher and then again once they reached the end of the mat.

Mr. Kovar placed a hand on Nomi's shoulder, stopping the teen from leaving. "If you want, you can take several of the tests to move up in rank at once. It's obvious that most of the people here can't match your skill level. If you do decide to take the tests, you would be put in the advanced class on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as the basic workout class on Sundays and Tuesdays. If you want, you can drop the basic workout class and only be in the advanced class...if you decide to stay with us, of course."

Nomi paused, thinking. He still wasn't sure if he really wanted to stay. Even though the kids there were kind, they weren't exactly...tough. There were only two or three other students that were blue belts in the current class, but he hadn't the chance to face them. It was a disappointment, as his grandfather had warned, but he learned the hard way that the elderly man was most likely right. If he decided to take the advanced class, he hoped they would put up a slightly decent fight.

Upon seeing the teen's indecisiveness, the balding instructor laughed heavily. "Not to worry. You can think things over and discuss with your family before coming back or calling to tell us whether or not you're continuing."

He nodded and slowly started to walk away, stopping at a chair several feet away and began gathering up his workout bag, glancing back to the stout man as a formality, and noticing the teen...Cunningham...was speaking with the other quickly. Nomi glanced around, not one to eavesdrop, seeing how it was rude, but he was rather curious as to why the sixteen-year-old looked so stressed. In such a relaxed environment, those two were looking like the world was just about ready to end.

"-here, I'm sorry I'm late again. I pulled extra shifts to pay for these classes," the teen held up three of his attendance cards, each documenting how often the teen came in every month, all having his barely legible handwriting on them.

Mr. Kovar looked around, failing to notice Nomi, who looked as if he was simply double checking all of his belongings in his bag. "After all you've done, with all the money and charity, you don't need to-"

"But I can't mooch off of you like this anymore!" Cunningham's whispers turned slightly hysterical, but remained quiet enough that other parents and students from the next, and previous, classes didn't notice.

"Mooch?" the portly man echoed, snatching the slips from the teen. "What are you talking about?"

Both students watched in shock as the man tore up the slips. "There."

Cunningham looked dismayed, he looked up at the instructor with gratitude and shame. "I'll try to come in more to help-"

"No need," the man waved his attempt away. "Nomi will come in more and give you a hand, isn't that right?"

In the split second it took the mahogany-eyed male to realized he was being called upon, he was caught, the instructor was a more shrewd man than the male originally thought. How very interesting.

"Yes," with that, he zipped up his bag and walked out the door, thanking the teachers at the help desk on his way out.

Randy watched the redhead leave. "I've gotta get going if I'm gonna make it home in time for dinner."

"You run along, kiddo. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Sayonara."

Randy raced out the door, spinning around only to bow before skidding outside. He noticed Nomi waiting for his car to pull up and ran to him.

"Welcome to the group! See you!" he said, shaking Nomi's hand quickly and patting his shoulder before running off down the road.

Nomi was surprised at the taller male's boldness. He shook his head.

"Your friend?"

Not really.

"Maybe."

A chuckle. "We'd better get moving if we want to beat the dinner crowd."

Nomicon Norisu nodded. He turned and followed the well dressed man to an expensive car, getting into the back and lazily sprawling out along the leather padded seat. What an interesting little dojo. He would probably attend. And if those two did end up being in the advanced class...he would have no choice. They had to be dealt with. It had to be done. To stop everything...This whole nightmare had to come to an end.

 _ **Mr. Kovar will be an important character, that's why I've given him a backstory. I promise the next chapter will be more about the main characters! Reviews please!**_


	2. Exchange Student

_**Sorry its been a few weeks since I updated, but I wanted a really long chapter, so it took longer to write. This chapter will have cursing in it, so just as a warning and none of those "you didn't tell me" comments. Thank you Dylexa for your kind review. It really meant a ton to me and I felt like I was going to cry out of joy. X3**_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

As Randy raced home, spurred on mostly by adrenaline, he couldn't help but feel guilty for the event that happened mere moments before. Even as a child he would depend on Mr. Kovar, and it wasn't fair to the middle aged gentleman to constantly have to deal with a punk kid like Randy. It wasn't like the teen was this great or ideal school student, he would get into fights at his highschool very often, and his grades left much to be desired most of the time. But Mr. Kovar was like a father to the boy, not simply a family friend.

And yet...the plump man had been so kind...so so kind. The purple haired boy often wondered just _why_ the man dealt with someone as troubled as he. It wasn't like the teen had ever done anything to really deserve such kindness. It was always his mom or the instructor helping him, and almost never the other way around.

His run slowed to a light jog, then to a simple walk. He puffed out the air he hadn't realized he had been holding, and smiled. It was hot outside, even though the school year had started over a month ago, the temperature teased the students locked in classrooms with its stuffy summer heat. The pale sidewalk glowed slightly, radiating the warmth it had kept tucked away during the day and now letting it flee as night crept upon the sun like a snake. Randy dragged his feet across the ground as he walked to a road, eyes down and face wiped of almost all emotion, completely lost in his own thoughts and instinctively waiting at the sidewalk for the light to turn green.

He had walked this same route since he was a child, it was so basic, so _normal_ he could do it in his sleep in a raging storm. Randy re-positioned his bag on his shoulder, wincing slightly as the cheap, bumpy black material dragged across the base of his pale neck. While he was waiting for the light to change he heard a rather annoying and repetitive sound, and, after glancing around, realized that it was his phone ringing.

'I really need to fix this tone,' he grumbled to himself, eyes narrowing as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a dull red Blackberry flip phone.

The teen had no need to even check who was calling him, seeing how he already knew who it was. "Hey, How, what's up?"

"Uh, not much," his friend replied quickly. "But you've gotta come over here!"

"Hmm? Why?" Randy wore a puzzled expression and began staring off into space at a young driver who made a rather rude hand gesture.

The sapphire eyed teen returned the motion when the other male drove by. "What?"

"Geez, Cunningham, I said-," Howard paused, letting out a triumphant cry and assorted grunts, before continuing. "What were we talking about?"

Randy rolled his eyes. This sounded too much like the orange-haired teen when he was playing a game. Only a small percent of his attention was turned away from what he was actually doing and giving you the time of day.

"You were talking about coming over?" he coaxed.

"Oh, yeah! You remember that game...the Grave Punchers 4.6 Limited Master Dungeon Dragon Guild Edition?"

"Yeah…?" Randy didn't quite get what the other was getting at.

The light turned green and Randy began walking quickly across the street.

"I finally found the hidden map! It was behind the-"

"Wait, really?! How, you are the cheese! I'll be right over!"

"Cunningham-!"

Randy didn't wait for his friend to finish, choosing to instead hang up and race the rest of the way to his house. He had to drop off his bag before he went over to the Weinerman's, because the last few times he went to his best friend's place he ended up forgetting his backpack and failing his homework assignments. He got a very long winded 'talking to' by both the principal and Mr. Kovar. It wasn't something he particularly enjoyed or wanted to repeat.

He also knew that the next day was going to be chaotic, so he would need to be able to go home and get changed quickly without needing to run around hunting for his bag.

He arrived at his house in minutes, reaching into his bag for his keys, only to realize they weren't where he usually had them stored. "You've got to be kidding me."

His eyes narrowed, all the while pawing through the battered bag's pockets. This wasn't right, they should be here! He tossed his near-empty water bottle and school clothes out onto the small lawn, flipping the bag around and shaking out his gloves and leg gear, only to find that the small, shiny bronze key wasn't there. Randy's phone started ringing again, startling the agitated teen.

" _What?!"_ he snarled.

And that was the beginning of another talk as to why Randy should check who calls and get his temper in check before answering the bloody phone.

"Sorry Mr. Kovar."

The phone started ringing again, and the teen, in his haste to get away from the annoyed instructor, answered it, making it a three way conversation.

"Cunningham, hurry up! Mom's making burgers!"

"Randy, who is this?!"

"Who-"

"Randy-!"

"How, I'll be there in a few."

"Hold it-!"

Randy hung up, knowing that his friend will be very pouty when he got there, and would need to bring over a bag of McSquiddles as a peace offering...if he ever got into the house, that is.

"Look, I'm sorry I snapped, it's just that my house key-"

"Yeah, you left it over here again," there was a hint of humor in the other male's voice.

Randy groaned, hand smacking against his forehead and leaving an angry red mark under his purple bangs. "This is so _not_ Bruce! I can't believe-"

Mr. Kovar tuned out, vaguely listening to his student's complaining. While he was whining, the instructor wrote the male's name on a folder, slipped the house key into said folder, and placed it in his locker. It was nice to be the instructor, he could relax with a child screaming into his ear until he goes deaf. Very nice.

"-and now I've gotta-"

The porky man then checked all the names of the students who went to the class, writing the date down in their assorted spots as a signal to the other teachers that they had attended class that day.

"-great!"

"I put it in your locker. If you want you can come over and pick it up."

"Nah," said the other after a couple moments of silence. "I've got to go back to the dojo tomorrow anyway, I'll get it then."

"How are you going to get into your house?"

Randy paused from stuffing his belongings back into his bag. "I've have to break into the place before. I'll get in. See you tomorrow."

"Alright. Don't stay out too late. I'm going to check up on you on Thursday. Do you want me to make you dinner or buy anything for you?"

Randy felt a wave of guilt at the question, but swallowed it down. "Nah, just come by, I'll be fine."

"Bye, Randy."

"See ya."

They both hung up. Randy snickered. It had indeed been awhile since he'd had to break into the house, but it wasn't uncommon. After his neighbors had first seen him sneak through the top window, they had called the police...multiple times. Eventually it had become a common sight to watch Randy Cunningham scale the side of the house as if there was a ladder leaning against the building instead of a flat wall. On rare occasions the kids in the neighborhood came to watch and place bets on how long it would take the teen to climb up.

It was fun, to say the least, and the little one's attention and admiration was appreciated. But it was dinnertime, and most of the people who lived in the area were home, enjoying a family meal on a normal Tuesday evening. Randy, however, was going to enjoy a nice meal at his friend's house, after getting changed, of course.

The clothes he had been wearing that day smelled rather bad, forcing the teen to take several more minutes grabbing clothes from the closet and throwing the dirty ones down the steps into an almost full hamper. With uncharacteristic care, the sixteen-year-old hung up his _karate gi_ on his desk chair. He then proceeded to jump out of the second floor of the house, effectively startling several fat birds that had gather on the lawn with his catlike grace when he landed.

From there he simply jogged to Howard's house, ignoring the bug eyed looks that came from some of the houses whose residence just watched the boy trust-fall out a window. In a matter of minutes he reached the Weinerman's house, and rang the doorbell like a crazy person, a goofy grin on his face.

Heidi threw the door open, a scowl covering her face. "What?"

"Hey, I'm here to hang with Howard," the male said while peering behind her, looking for his friend.

"Howard, Rudy-!"

"Randy."

"-Sandy's here!"

A moment later muffled shouting from Howard's room encouraged Randy to slip past the older female teen to his friend. Upon entering the small, dark room, his eyes fastened onto the only source of light, as well as the flaming orange hair that seemed to glow slightly in the shine of the 2D graphics from the game.

"Hey, How," Randy grabbed a console that was lying on the ground, eyes not leaving the screen the whole time.

He slammed the door shut with his foot, and Howard simply nodded, eyes huge as he continued to slam of the controls with enough force to cause Randy to cringe slightly. Both sat, absorbed in the new map of the slightly old game with intense fascination, as the shadows from the light of the screen danced teasingly on the walls, tentatively reaching for the two, only to draw back at the last second. An intricate game of chicken.

"So…" Howard began after several minutes of silence, with occasional grunts and sudden movements, startling the shadows.

"Hmm?" Randy barely registered the fact his friend was talking to him.

"The guy on the phone, who was that?" there was a bitter note laced with his request, so small it almost wasn't there.

"Mr. Kovar," the taller teen said, jumping to his feet and wildly swinging his arms, as if there was an invisible creature reaching for him.

"Who?" the orange head risked a glance at his friend, eyes deftly scanning over his body before turning back to the game. "Wait...isn't he your mom's friend or something?"

"Yeah," Randy seemed as if he had something to say.

Howard paused the game. They were at the boss, but neither had yet to attack. "But…?"

Purple hair whipped around, an annoyed expression on his face until he saw the unusual expression of seriousness worn like a mask on the other. The shadows paused on the walls, all the while leering down at the two, teasing smiles, clawed hands waiting, eyes watching.

"How, what's up? You need something? Bathroom?" he said smugly, controller grasped tightly in his hands.

Howard didn't move. "Is he doing stuff to you or something?"

The shock on Randy's face was almost comical. "W-what?! No! Geez, How, what the juice?!"

The question was weird... so completely bizarre and had nothing to do with anything at all going on. "Where did that come from?!"

The smaller teen started laughing, rolling on the floor and eventually banging his hands onto the ground. Both Randy and the shadows were mystified as to what was going on, and where exactly that question had come from.

"I was kidding! You should've seen the look on your face!"

Randy cracked a smile. "Yeah...sure."

Then he remembered, "Here," a bag of McSquiddles was thrown at the other, forcing him to stop laughing. "Sorry 'bout hanging up on you."

"Huh, oh yeah well-!"

Grave Puncher music was heard as the taller unpaused the game, causing Howard to scramble for his black controller before his character was smashed. The shadows tentatively continued their excited dance.

After a while Heidi practically kicked down the door, called to the two that dinner was ready and that they had to come up to eat _right now_. The two teenage boys stuffed their faces, causing the older sibling to wear a rather disgusted look on her face all the while trying to avoid the fact that they were there by looking at _anything_ that wasn't them.

"I gotta go," Randy said after they had finished.

Heidi had escaped the first chance she got, leaving Mrs. Weinerman with the two boys. Howard's dad hadn't come home yet.

"You know where the bathroom is."

"No, I gotta go home before dark. I forgot my keys, I don't want to get hurt trying to get into the house."

"But your mom can just let you in, you know."

"She's on a business trip."

"Another?! Man, that's pretty Bruce, no parents around, you know?"

Randy simply shrugged. "I guess. Not a really big deal. I better get going. Good luck on the homework, the english's killer."

Howard groaned. "Cunningham, you are so _not_ the cheese!"

Randy left, laughing loudly. It was nice to hang with his buddy, especially after school and karate. It was a lot of work, and it's not like Randy really had a choice. He needed to go to school so he could get a decent job and pay. Preferably working for Hannibal McFist, it was known that tech geniuses that got hooked up with him could live a rather comfortable lifestyle.

His phone rang, making Randy jerk suddenly to the side and making a small tabby cat who was perched on a large wrought iron fence hiss menacingly down upon the male. He hissed back while reaching into his back pocket, and this time checking the caller ID before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Randy, this is Ray. I was wondering if you'd be willing to come into the shop and work on something. This guy brought in his work laptop and it turns out it's been hacked. The total amount of data in the hard drive is worth several hundred thousand dollars," Randy's work manager sounded panicked and excited at the same time.

"Why not just remove the hard drive?" the tech savvy teen said, shuddering slightly as a sudden cool gust of wind slithered up his shirt and gently caressed his skin.

"It's encrypted, there's some sort of virus on it too. If it gets taken out the whole thing gets wiped."

Hmm...That's not all that new.

"Alright," Randy decided. "I'll be right there."

He would risk not being able to get into the house that night for this job. Randy had expressed a rather artistic flair when he was younger, leading him to be able to think outside the box more often than other kids. It caused him to be marked as slightly weird due to the fact that most kids didn't know how to deal with people who were different. During that time he picked up one of his mother's trades, as well as the love for computers and other electronic devices.

Besides, if the man who brought in the computer had information that was that important, it would mean a nice cut of the total pay he was willing to fork up if it was fixed. It the purple haired teen fixed it, that would make for a nice sum of money.

He broke out into a sprint, wanting to get to the shop quickly. It was rather creepy outside, with the sun almost completely set, tired from its day of work. He got there in ten minutes, and realized it would've been smarter to go home and get his bike, but oh well. What's done is done, nothing he can really do now.

Ray saw the male coming up and waved excitedly, gesturing for him to hurry. "Here, I put it on your desk, along with what had happened. Call if you need anything."

Randy flashed his coworker an appreciative smile before grabbing several cables and a blank flash drive. He plopped down onto his brown office chair, spinning around once and bumping into the white plastic table that was his desk. He turned and looked at the shining gray Toshiba laptop, it seemed almost brand new. There was a slip of paper taped to the screen, telling the teen everything that had been done to try and fix the problem.

Randy hummed lightly as he plugged in the different assortment of wires and cables to his multiple screens and connection them to the laptop before turning on both the computers. It cut past the login screen to a frozen shot on the computer. There were multiple tabs and websites open, which would probably cause large amounts of lag if the computer had been of less quality. It was obviously a high powered one. The only ominous thing on the otherwise normal computer was the small tab hosting a countdown, written in red and bolded, counting down the amount of time that the owner had to send several thousand dollars to an overseas account.

Randy had heard of this before. It was basically a question that most hackers left their victims. How much do you think all the information on your computer is worth?

The victim pays the amount of money that the hacker wants to get their computer back. If they fail to pay in a specific amount of time, their whole drive gets erased. It seemed as if this hacker was gutsy, they wanted the money, however they were also stealing the data off the computer. They couldn't steal info while it was off, but the countdown continued. Now Randy understood why the owner didn't pay the asked amount.

The hacker was going to take the info from the laptop, even if the victim pays. How low.

Randy soon found that the hacker on the other side was rather slow. He had a hard time reacting to the firewalls that suddenly popped up, slowing down the amount of data being taken and causing him to hunt for backdoors. It didn't take very long for the teen to find how the hacker had gotten in. It wasn't good either.

The hacker had used a modified version of the ILOVEYOU virus, a computer worm that infected the computer and then sent copies of itself to all of the victim's contacts. How fun.

Randy had to go into the program, all the while fending off the other hacker, who seemed to be waking up. Luckily, Randy found a backdoor onto the hacker's laptop, unfortunately, it was against the law for him to do anything. It was nice, though, that Randy, after some hunting, found what he was looking for; the antivirus. It was simple to download onto the computer, but just to be safe Randy copied all of the uncorrupted data onto the blank flash drive, then installed everything onto a hard drive fresh out of the package. He put a red sticker onto the corrupted hard drive, but didn't throw it away, just in case to owner still needed it for whatever reason.

It was nice that he had gotten rid of the worm and stopped the hacker, it wasn't nice that it was one in the morning. He also had a test the next day too...oh dear…time flies much too quickly...

* * *

"You look horrible," Howard laughed the next morning.

"Good to see you too," Randy hissed.

The previous night Randy found that Mr. Kovar had dropped off his house key. With it was a chain and letter, warning him to not make the same mistake again. The chain was for him so that he had to wear the key, making it harder for him to lose or misplace it.

"Yeah, no. But really. You look like you stayed up all night. What were you doing?"

"Work."

Howard made a face. "Eww...how could you leave me for nerd work?"

Randy rolled his eyes. "Please."

"What do you think Ms. Flint wants us to do today? Her being the whole 'art enthusiast' teacher and all," art was a required class if students wanted to graduate, and both the teens had been lucky enough to be put in all the same classes except for one.

"Who knows. Hopefully it's something we can actually enjoy. I'm getting really tired of sketching cats and flowers."

Howard snickered. "Yeah, you got that right, it's pretty-"

Ms. Flint smacked a ruler harshly on her desk, causing the front half of the class to hit the ceiling while the back half simply looked alarmed. "We will begin shortly, I want all of you to pay attention to the front of the class to watch the bulletin."

Ms. Flint was a tall, willowy woman with long brown hair held up tightly in a bun. She was what most of the students would label as 'strict,' however she also had a generous side to her. As an art teacher she would always have colorful paintings and sketches hung up around the class, even though she herself would dress in drab and dark clothing. She was, unusually enough, a kind teacher as well, and would usually give students plenty of extra credit points...if they worked for them, that is.

When Heidi popped up onto the screen Howard groaned unhappily as the girl went on for a small while, exclaiming about how they had to start their Wednesdays off with a big smile, spoke about some gossip, and then the television went blank. Dave turned the lights back on at Ms. Flint's request.

"Also, students, we have a new transfer student from Japan. Be nice," the 'or else' part hung in the air as she went to the classroom door and opened it, only for there, partly hidden in the shadows of the hallway, was Nomicon Norisu.

Randy's jaw almost hit the floor as he stared at the red head. He pointed and looked at Howard, who gave him an odd look, and then back at the male. It was almost impossible, a huge coincidence like this to even be real was...Randy didn't really know the odds but they were almost nonexistent! Girls in the class twittered excitedly as the new student's cold eyes swept over them, a scowl on his face. His eyes flashed momentarily as he recognized the purple haired male in the back...but for the life of him he couldn't remember his name.

Nomi looked different in the classroom compared to the karate school, but that was to be expected. He had a black clip in his hair, holding a lock on the side of his face in place. A white button up shirt covered up a long sleeved black shirt that had an unusual green insignia on the bottom right. To match he had black pants and dark black and blue sneakers. His dull outfit caused his vibrant red hair to pop even more and make him look almost natural among the beautiful art pieces that lined the walls and surrounded his classmates.

"Hello," he said simply, scanning each and everyone of the people in the class. "My name is Nomicon Norisu. I look forward to being in this class with you all for the next semester."

Most of the students stared at the male, waiting for him to start laughing and making a whole huge show of coming to the school, but that wasn't the case. He simply stood, waiting for some sort of reaction to show that it would be alright for him to sit down, anything to get the spotlight away. The sooner he was tucked in the back of the room and forgotten, the better. He had a job to do, and he wasn't about to allow anything to get in his way.

Suddenly, explosive clapping was heard from the back of the room, causing Nomi's attention to become refocused on Randy. Other student quickly joined in before Ms. Flint snapped her thin metal ruler onto the table, causing Nomi to jump and the class to become ghostly silent.

"Would you like to say anything else, dear?" she asked kindly. Her eyes twinkled with appreciation at the respect that Nomi had shown her mere seconds before.

"No, that's it," he smiled charmingly. "Where do I sit?"

"In the back, behind Stevens."

He took that as a sign of dismissal.

"Would you like to tell the class anything about yourself?"

He faced her, and for a moment there was something...unnatural there. But it was gone. It never existed. "I believe that people must ask to learn, but to do so they must use time that they desire."

It sounded almost like a riddle, but not quite. The answer was apparent; he didn't, and if people wanted to know about him, they would have to ask later.

Most of the girls whispered about the 'cute redhead in the back' while the boys exchanged odd looks with one another. It wasn't uncommon for Norrisville High to get new exchange students, but it was unusual for them to be from Japan, not to mention that he had spoken English fluently and with only the slightest hint of an accent.

Howard and Randy spent the better part of the class exchanging notes and writing down the 'Rules For Shading and Colors' on McNotebooks. It was far from a common art class, and as the eighty-five minutes started to crawl by, becoming slower and slower, Ms. Flint had finally had enough. She watched as one student's head slipped off his hand, causing him to wake from his light doze before his head had a rather unpleasant meeting with the hard plastic of cheap public school desks. She also watched through slits in her eyes as the girls giggled slightly, sneaking glances to Nomi who appeared to be the only student paying attention.

It wouldn't really matter if she called the students out, other than being embarrassed, they would simply shrug it off. A rather nasty misconception that students have is that they believe that the teacher who is standing at the front of the desk is both blind and foolish, leading to detention, extra homework, and phones being taken away. She paused, teeth clicking slightly before she decided.

It was supposed to be for next week, but if they wouldn't learn, she would simply force them. She was teacher, she could do anything as long as it was legal and she decided it was fit to be done. It was.

"Alright, listen up, or get your grade halved."

This caused the whole class to become deadly alert. Failing meant repeating. It meant a blemish on a permanent record. It meant shut the cheese up and listen.

"I was going to assign this next week, but I've decided that this will be your final grade on your quarter terms for the whole school year. This project will make or break your grade this quarter," she paused. "You will be allowed to work in groups."

Excited whispering starter almost instantly as friends started exchanging looks as if to signal that they were going to be partners and no one was going to stop that. At all.

"The partners will be random."

Chaos followed. Ms. Flint let the complaints go on until students got the memo that they needed to shut their flappy lips before something quite bad happens.

"As you know, we spent our first three weeks working on sewing, and the last last week and a half on sketching. You and your partner will decide if you will sketch or sew. I want the project to be of some sort of animal, mythical or not, I don't care. Both students will have to turn in a minimum of four paragraphs on their project and why they chose it. There is an even amount of students in this class, so we will be working in pairs. Questions?"

Theresa raised her hand. "Is there a sheet or rubric we'll get to show us what we need?"

"You will get your partners and information tomorrow. Our time is almost up, and I have decided that you will all be assigned homework. Nomi, visit me after class."

More complaining as the kids who had planners pulled them out and wrote the work that was being neatly printed on the blackboard. Other students documented it and stuffed the sheet of paper into their bags and waited for the bell to ring, which wouldn't be for another ten minutes.

"Talk quietly. No phones."

Nomi rolled his eyes, appalled by the behavior of the students who went to this public place. He had been jumping from school to school over the last month, and had spent most of his summer working on finding other academies and doing extra studying and curriculum so that he would continue to be up to date while transferring. He knew he wasn't going to be staying in this rather small city known as Norrisville, with almost all of its products being a part of McFist Industries, for very long. There was also no way the two he was searching for would ever be in such a repulsive city.

He bent over on his chair, sliding down to his bag and gently tucked his notebook away in the second pocket of an exclusive, and _expensive_ , first hand Japanese backpack. None of that McFist crap. A shadow crossed the light brown plastic that was a rather sorry excuse for a desk, and when Nomi looked up he was quite surprised to see Cunningham grinning down at him.

"Hey there! This's pretty Bruce, huh?!"

"This?" Nomi questioned.

"You know! Same karate class, same school?!" Randy gestured around the small, overcrowded public school classroom.

Nomi wasn't as excited. "I doubt I'll be here for very long."

"Why?" came a sharp voice.

Randy glanced over at a short orange haired boy who he had been talking with during the class. The short male's dark brown eyes were narrowed at the redhead, a scowl covering his face like a large hate-filled blanket.

"Because I have family members in the army. We move often."

Liar.

"That bites," Randy paused. "What classes do you have? Who're your teachers? What do your parents do in the army? Do you want to eat lunch with us? I know-ouch!"

Howard had elbowed him in the gut, his glare never leaving the new student. "But we don't really need to know, thank you, bye."

He pushed Randy away from Nomi, who was completely content with that action. He had no need for anyone at the school, they were simple inconveniences that needed to be overlooked and ignored. It was obvious that this place was a bust. Nothing but a worthless school with weird people who were completely useless.

Pointless.

Nomi approached the desk of Ms. Flint. "You needed to speak with me?

"Yes. I was going through your records and I must say I'm quite impressed."

"Thank you," the student didn't see where this conversation was headed.

"I was thinking, if you wanted, you could be a tutor after school and work with struggling students. It will look good on your record and it will be a nice way to make friends."

"I'll have to come back to you on that," the male said with a grin.

"I understand. That's it."

When the bell rang Nomi quickly slipped out of the room and pawed through his schedule and then the room numbers in an attempt to find his next class, which was Advanced Calculus. Though he was a junior, he was a genius, and that was what landed him in advanced classes, even if if he _was_ just a new student.

He also was painfully aware of the looks and smirks he got as he hunted around, his pride stopping him from pausing and asking for help. He was so focused on his schedule and the students grinning at him that he didn't look up to stop himself from running into a large jock with mud brown hair. He was a tall, beefy guy who looked as if he lived at the gym and ate nothing but proteins to increase the size of his muscles.

And Nomi was the new idiot who walked into him.

"Wha, who're you? A new punching bag?" the male asked, encouraging laughter from his buddies.

"I'm Nomicon Nori-"

"Don't care! I'm Bash Johnson, which makes me better than you, looser!"

Nomi prided himself in his compassion and patience, but he really wasn't in the mood for dealing with the meat head, and he decided, right off the bat, that he _really_ didn't like Bash Johnson. The junior knew better than to lash out and get into trouble. It would be a really big inconvenience and he had no interest to vault himself into trouble. It would only mess something up later on for him.

At least, that's what he thought until something cold reached out from behind him and wrapped itself around his wrist. The action caused the teen to whirl, and also causing Bash to stop preaching about himself and to glare at the redhead.

Randy grinned apologetically at the new student before looking at Bash with a nervous glint in his eyes.

"Sorry for my...uh…"

Nomi's eyes narrowed, a sour look on his face, daring Randy to call him his friend.

Just try it.

Just see what happens.

"Acquaintance, he's a little...erm...confused…"

Randy was shrinking under the look he was getting from Nomi.

"Because I wasn't clear with my instructions…"

Bash was looking at him oddly, neither really expecting this skinny shrimp to pull something too intelligent.

"Anyway, Bash, if you let him off with a warning to be more careful, you can have my lunch today. Okay?"

It took several moments for Bash to process the offer made. "A warning?"

"So he won't bump into you again."

"No," Bash said, eyes gleaming victoriously. "I'll let the cherry off with a warning, and take your lunch, got it?"

Randy nodded quickly. "Good idea. We need to go to class. Bye!"

" _Cherry?!"_ Nomi hissed as the purple head carted him away.

Randy chuckled.

Nomi was practically dragged to the Calculus class...after Randy checked his room number. When they got to the classroom Nomi gave the purple haired male one last filthy look before wrenching his arm from the other's cold grip and slipped passed the door. The bell rang seconds after. The teacher glanced up at Nomi, nodded, and watched as a wincing Randy slowly peered into the room, a sheepish look on his face.

"Late, Mr. Cunningham?"

"Yes, sir…"

"We will have a talk about this after class."

"Yes...sir…"

The two went to their seats and the calculus teacher stood. This teacher operated differently from Ms. Flint, he simply reviewed what he wanted the students to do for the next twenty minutes, and turned them loose. It struck Nomi as odd, the amount of trust to let them do whatever during this time wasn't what he had expected. He then realized that the teacher was grading them on what they did in this time; it directly affected their after school work, after all.

About five minutes in a small, crumpled piece of paper landed on his desk. He pretended not to notice. Five more minutes passed without anything else pelting him. Then five more. Finally, he casually reached a hand out and unfolded the paper, all the while pretending to stretch and see if anyone was looking at him. No one was. Randy had his back to the red head, and he was on the other side of the room, crouched around his paper and appearing to be working fervently on the math problems assigned.

He pushed his red bangs out of his face and skimmed over the note, frown turning to a scowl at the question that was so obviously from Randy, but when he turned to look at him, the male was still staring at his work and didn't so much as straighten his back to peer around. Nomi stuffed the note into his bag without answering it or throwing it to the taller.

Shortly after the teacher got up again, helped work through any problems that anyone might've had, assigned them their homework, and gave them the rest of the period-a good fifty-five minutes-to finish the chapter. Most of the students got to work, but within twenty minutes most of the students had decided to stop working and do the rest at home. Nomi wasn't one of those students.

A second note flew to him, bounced off his hand, and landed right into his lap. He whirled around in time to see the girl behind him spin around and face her friends, but her long dirty blond hair betrayed her. He quickly opened the note, saw it said the same thing, answered it, and threw it back to her. After a split second of thinking he turned and watched as the note traveled around the classroom to Randy's table, but instead of being given to the purple haired male, a pretty, slender girl with long eyelashes received it.

He was stunned, having been so sure that the ridiculous question had been from the other male. It had seemed like something he'd ask;

 _What lunch period do you have?_

With two checkboxes, one for first lunch and one for second.

He was obviously wrong, causing the new student to become rather snappish due to the fact that him being wrong was so minutely possible. How frustrating. How completely frustrating.

The rest of the period passed without incident; no more notes, lots of chatting from students, and with Randy flat out refusing to give him a passing glance. When the bell rang Nomi was already done with the work assigned in class and had started ahead on the homework. He gathered up his bag-which he had finished packing up several moments before-and was swept out of the room by students either rushing to their next period class or leisurely going to first lunch.

He stopped several feet away from the room, realizing that Randy wasn't dragging him along. Then he remembered that the male was staying in the class...most likely getting scolded for being late. Nomi felt no guilt, it wasn't his fault, not really. Randy got involved. He was stupidly brave...but mostly stupid.

Nomi's third class was biology, where he spent most of it hungry and the rest trying not to chuck up whatever contents remained in his stomach. It screamed fun. Especially the part where they watched a video on someone having surgery done on their _eye_. The professor said it was for review, but the bastard seemed as if he enjoyed watching the ten minute video immensely. Creepy little fucker.

The ringing bell was a blessing, and most would be hard pressed to watch as the new student shot out of the room as if launched from a cannon. However, it appeared like the male wasn't fast enough, seeing how he was once again caught by a certain purple haired fool.

"What do you want now?" Nomi snapped as he was pulled along the hallways. "And how did you know where I was?"

Randy waved his other hand carelessly. "Simple."

He gave no further explanation, causing to anger the redhead even more.

"What is your damage? What do you want from me?" Nomi flipped the tables on Randy, grabbing the wrist of the hand that held his and, with almost inhuman strength, forced him into a less crowded hallway.

"My damage?" Randy echoed, eyes dancing with an amused light. "I don't have any damage, as far as I know."

"You're insane," Nomi made to leave, but was stopped again by the other.

"Look, the reason why I've been hanging around you is...well…it just..."

Cold eyes narrowed.

What?

Just what?

"Well?" that single word held more venom than that of a deadly snake.

"I saw you at the dojo. You were fighting something."

"My sparring partner?"

Randy cracked a smile. "You have a very dry sense of humor."

Narrowing mahogany eyes complimented his earlier angry words nicely. "Leave me alone."

"You need friends."

"I need no one."

"Maybe that's why your smiles have no life."

Excuse me?

The words stung, but Nomi wouldn't fall for such an obvious trap to rile him. But it was the look Randy gave him that was like a bucket of cold water after being trapped in a desert.

How dare you.

The pity in his eyes...that little...damn him…

Nomi grit his teeth. "Go play with your friends. Leave me alone."

And, unsurprisingly, the purple head ignored him. He ruffled his wild red hair and pulled him back along the path they had been going before the other's outburst. He chatted the whole way, the grin that he wore when Nomi had first met him still plastered on his face.

He talked about his friend, Howard, or Double D, as he occasionally called him. He talked about Howard's older sister, how she had known him his whole life and still was unable to call him by his real name. He spoke with kindness about Howard's father, who would rather ruin his son's friendship rather than own up to his own mistakes. He talked of Bash, who had a rich father and beautiful mother, and how he successfully got kicked out of the school during his senior year, but then being readmitted the year after, causing the suffering to be prolonged for all the other students.

The two were halfway into lunch by the time Bash came to collect the money that Randy owed, and Nomi was surprised to watch as Bash shoved the male around even after having what he came for. When Howard questioned him Randy surprised Nomi again by saying that he got in Bash's way earlier, acting as if the new student had nothing to do with it at all.

How selfless.

How noble.

How pointless.

Nomi knew he wasn't going to come back to the school tomorrow. They weren't here. What a surprise. This dump could never house them. He pondered why he even bothered to allow Randy to speak with him. Why he even tried to get along with him.

He noticed something was off when the room became too quiet. Or rather, no one was talking anymore. It was as if the whole other half of the school decided to hold their breaths all at the same time in some weird contest.

The only sound was the click-clacking of highheeled shoes on the white linoleum floor. Students practically flew out of the way as a young girl, a drop-dead gorgeous girl, walked into the room. She had beautiful ebony-no, navy blue-locks of waist length hair, sharp and graceful features about her, and a perfect posture. She was the most beautiful ice sculpture; to be admired, but never touched.

It was her...it had to be…

"Careful," Randy whispered, eyes narrowed. "That's Amanda Sorcerer, she and her twin brother practically run this school. You should stay out of their way."

Howard huffed, drawing the purple head's attention away from Nomi while the redhead brooded. This was...unexpected.

Irritating.

The rest of lunch passed quickly, with Nomi boring holes into the head's of the two students who he had been hunting for years. Why here? Why this dump? It appeared like Nomi was going to stay with his grandfather and continue his classes in the dojo after all. What an annoyance.

"Great," he hissed while stalking to the car that had come to pick him up at the end of the day. "Just fucking great."

 _ **Alright, so I doubled the length this chapter was, and it only lasted the length of maybe one total day? That's pretty cool. If anyone finds spelling or grammar mistakes could they tell me nicely? That would be nice! And as always, reviews please! X3**_


	3. Foolish Student

**Okay, so I've got no excuses. Sorry, I really am. I finished this chapter a little while ago and I just didn't post it. XD... Oh, I'm also starting some stories based on Gravity Falls and Casshern Sins. If anyone has any requests please don't hesitate to PM or comment in the reviews!**

Chapter 3

Howard was, to state the obvious, a rather lazy guy. He was egotistical too. But, he had qualities about him that seemed to glow and cast a light, whether positive or not, onto the people around him. This was especially the case around a certain purple haired fool, who had gone and tried to invite someone else into the group. And, while Howard wasn't saying that it was Randy's fault, he felt like blaming him at the moment.

Last Friday the two seemingly inseparable friends got into a rather nasty fight when Randy had been late to meeting the shorter...again. That had quickly escalated into a full on shouting fest and had then successfully made the Monday gossip column due to the fact that the two were the oldest friends at the whole damn school. During the fight Randy had said that if Howard had more friends that he wouldn't need to wait for the taller, and Howard had all but spit that without him Cunningham would be nothing more that a walking punching bag.

By Saturday morning Howard had mostly calmed down and was only further won over by the fact that Randy had shown up earlier that morning and had left a gift basket of assorted goodies that the shorter spent most of the day eating. At around lunch time the orange head's McCell was bombarded by call after call, all of which he ignored completely until he knew he couldn't get away with it anymore without Cunningham getting upset and breaking down his door.

Upon answering Randy apologised and continually said that he regret everything he had said, and Howard, feeling some guilt as well, accepted his apology and invited him over as if to make up for his previous behavior. Monday morning had made Howard rather prickly after seeing the daily bulletin, and Randy knew better than to do anything that would further anger him until lunch, where the orange head was given tons of attention as people worried over their relationship as friends.

Randy had watched the fondling in silence, and his uncharacteristically dark mood kept most of the people around him away. It was after lunch that Monday that the two had really talked decently to each other. And, as it turns out, he had gone to get a package that his mom had sent to the wrong post office that turned out to actually be out of the city. How that was even possible, Howard really didn't know. And since the office couldn't send it to Randy's house, he had to ride his bike out there and take it back home, forcing the male to spend almost five hours away. No wonder he was in a rather foul mood, even though it had happened the previous day.

But now back to the present.

Their fourth period was a class that was mostly student operated and they were allowed to do almost anything legal. They were an IT team, or a group of students-ranging from Freshmen to Seniors-who went around campus fixing any computer, DVD, keyboard, or other PC related piece of equipment on campus. Randy had gone out on a job with Howard that required delivering, unpackaging, and installing a lab of laptops that a section on the class had built, and another part had programmed.

But now, in their last period, Howard was drilling holes into his childhood friend's head. He had been annoyed at the other and had stopped talking to him for the time being, but they were friends and he would get over this eventually...at least, that's what usually happens. But with the new student in the fray...no that wouldn't be a problem. He was going to leave the school soon anyhow, and he was only in two of Cunningham's classes. It wasn't that big a deal.

The taller wasn't going to leave him. Howard knew that for a fact.

A sudden and harsh nudge to his rib cage caused the male to jump and instantly get defensive while glaring at Randy, who looked mildly concerned. "I was talking to you, what's up?"

"Nothing really," came a rather sharp response as he pulled apart another box and, uncaringly, tossed the computer onto the table, where it thumped loudly against the others of its kind. Randy wore a surprised look and glared lightly at his friend.

"We need to install them, if you want to break stuff go work in surplus. Stop being such a shoob."

"Hmm."

Silence.

They continued to unbox the computers and put their rechargers in their assorted spots on the computer rack, all the while putting freshly printed stickers on the new laptops. Howard snuck glances at his friend whenever he had his back turned. It wasn't fair how Randy was so...so irritating. Why did he have to hang around with a new student? Was he trying to replace him?!

"Look, I'm sorry about Friday, I know you're still mad-"

"I'm not angry, Cunningham."

"Then why are you giving me those ticked off looks whenever I turn around?"

Busted.

"You seem upset, and you've been incredibly snappy all morning."

"Yeah, well, maybe I am angry about Friday."

"But you just said you weren't."

"I changed my mind."

"You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

They gave the other heated looks when suddenly Randy's head snapped up and he grinned radiantly. "Hey, Nomi!"

Instinctively Howard threw a, luckily, empty computer box at the firmly shut door, and the taller of the two watched him, eyebrows raised and an unamused look on his face. "Really?"

"Leave it alone, Cunningham," Howard warned.

"Why don't you like Nomi? He's a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah, aside from the fact that he doesn't look like he knows how to be grateful and that whenever he looks at you, he seems to wince!"

"Well, I probably surprise him. Not a lot of kids act like me to people like him."

"He doesn't like you."

"He just needs some friends."

"Well, they aren't going to be us!"

"And why not?!"

The two stood, forehead to forehead, heatedly glaring at each other and _seething_ silently. "There is something wrong with him."

"Like what?!"

"His eyes are dead."

But…

Randy drew back slowly, and Howard felt the icy claws of fear run teasingly down the back of his neck at the blank look in the other's eyes. The taller's face was a mask, and despite having been friends for many, many years, this was one of those very few times that the orange head was simply unable to tell just what was going on in the other's mind. Cunningham went back to unpackaging the computers and soon they had them all installed, neither saying a word.

When the two made it back to the classroom and put away the cart they had used to move everything, Howard heard a slight noise from Randy.

"What?"

"Sorry for starting another fight."

"I didn't really help," Howard chuckled slightly. "It's fine. Just…"

"Forget it?" Randy supplied.

"Nah. If you really want to be friends with this guy...I'll give him a chance."

"You don't have to," the taller said softly.

"Heh, it'll be good to not have to worry about waiting for you, besides," he grinned. "He's on time, unlike you."

Randy stuck his tongue out at the other, but they were both grinning like mad men, so it was alright. It was all going to be alright.

* * *

Once the school bell rang for the last time for that day the students fled as quickly as possible. Howard, however, followed Randy away from their usual place and to the library, where they would stay until it closed, which was at four. Cunningham had insisted that they work on their after-school assignments while they were free of distractions...well...mostly free anyway. Usually what the hour-and-a-half entailed was Randy would reread the whole math section before he even started on the actual work, while Howard complained about how Randy was spending more time on his work than best friend, and played on his phone.

Later, when the purple head was doing the homework for a class they are both in, Howard watched him like a hawk to get the answers for the assignments that he simply didn't feel like doing. He was tolerated during that time. Even later still, when the two students had about ten minutes left, Randy decided to work on art. They had been practicing different techniques to drawing the same thing and how every style was different for an individual, and so their homework reflected that. They had to draw something twice, but once in their style and another in a different.

Unfortunately, the shorter couldn't simply copy off of Randy, who had decided to draw a cartoon character from a show he watched when he was younger. The thing looked... _unsettling,_ and seeing how the creators had attempted to make the creature look like a cat, it made it all the worse. But lately Randy had gotten a rather odd obsession for creatures that didn't look very natural, so it wasn't too unusual for him. His room consisted of weird looking gifts that his mom either made or bought.

Finally, the orange head got a text on his nearly dead phone that his dad had come to pick them up. The whole car ride Howard complained to Cunningham and asked him to not _force_ him to do that torture anymore. Randy simply snorted and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Are you sure you don't want to come over today?" Howard whined.

"Yeah, I've gotta go to my training."

"But why? You can afford to miss a day, right?"

"Nah, I want to finally get to black belt. If I miss out on classes then I won't be fit enough."

"But it's only one class," Howard tried to reason. "Will missing just _one class_ really mess everything up that badly?"

"'Fraid so, buddy," the other nodded sagely.

The shorter huffed, his eyes narrowed and he looked like he was going to start major pout mode and make the other incredibly guilty. Luckily, they arrived at Randy's house before things could get too out of hand and the taller bid the father and son a good day before slipping away from the car with his bag and into his house before they could start another fight.

The taller sighed deeply, eyes half-lidded, back leaning heavily upon the tightly shut and locked door. It was okay. Just fine. Another day is almost over. Hang on. Just a little longer...just a little longer….

"Mom...I'm home."

Visions chased after the teen as he slowly trudged deeper into the dark house. All the lights were off to save power and money. He had to be very careful not to waste anything, he didn't want to trouble his mother anymore. The shadows from earlier had made their reappearance, this time their cruel eyes watched the boy hungrily, noting the fact that he was once again alone. Such weak vulnerable prey. Too easy.

"School was alright," he continued down the hall to where the laundry bin was and bent to pick it up.

Tiny shadows reached out and gently wrapped themselves around him, making a cloak to hide him away. Randy carried the dark bin to the dark, small laundry room and put it into the dark washing machine, turning it on and listening to the dull, mournful purr it made. He shut the door and went out to the kitchen, children shadows following with parents close behind.

"I met this new kid, he's pretty cool," Randy paused near the kitchen and looked out into the empty living space, flashes of light and laughter dancing across his vision, bowing to each other before beginning a mocking dance, teasing him. Daring him to even try to understand their beauty, and showing him that he had _no_ place among them.

"It's nice, Howard seems to be open to the idea of having him as a friend. I don't think I'm being selfish, do you?"

The silence was deafening, and whispers and creaks from the building murmured dark promises. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Suddenly, a violent and bright flash shot through the room, tearing apart the darkness that crept upon the teen and, with fangs bared, snarled into the seething abyss of furious shadows. The male walked farther into the bright room, unaware of the fight that had started just seconds before when he flicked the light switch on. Randy open the polished silver metal door of the refrigerator and peered in, eyes catching on a bag filled with the large grey bodies of the shrimp he had bought a while ago.

"When did I get these? Saturday...right? Maybe Sunday?" he opened the bag and tentatively sniffed at the sea animals, a smile gracing his features when he realized that they hadn't gone bad yet.

Within seconds he had the bag of shrimp dumped into a bowl with water running over them while he raced around the kitchen and briefly into the pantry, grabbing assorted goods and kitchenware to make a quick and half decent dinner. He tossed some angel hair pasta into a pot with water and turned it on, all the while setting a timer to make sure that he would be able to get to it before it burned. With his math and psychology homework done and his art assignments near completion, Randy decided to relax and take his time at home until he had to leave again. He poured a tablespoon of olive oil into a pot and watchfully chopped up two cloves of garlic before pouring them into the oil, careful to keep the stove off until he was ready to cook them.

With the two pots of bubbling food in the making, he grabbed a rather generous amount of butter and placed the sticks on a small, polished glass plate. Randy waited for several minutes before pouring in the already peeled and deveined shrimp, along with some pepper, half a teaspoon of salt, and a dash of dry white wine that his mom kept in the pantry, into the pot with the garlic and oil. The wine would burn off, so he wouldn't get any of the effects of actually drinking the stuff anyway.

Not ten seconds after he finished adding the ingredients did the timer he set go off, causing the teen to put on oven mitts, and, careful not to burn himself _again_ , poured out the boiling water that fled from the tipped pot and past the net to keep the food within. The clear steam that rose up danced and giggled, even though the laughter sounded more like hisses. With the pasta ready and the shrimp cooking, it was then that the teen allowed himself to be swept past the darkness that seeped from every crevice of the house, up the stairs and to his dark room that offered safety from the reality that he was forced to endure. A high school student with a part-time job and who was usually alone never had it very easy, especially if he was hiding all of his problems away from everyone else.

He was selfish. He knew that. Constantly needing help from people who were struggling enough on their own, if that wasn't insensitive then the male didn't know what was. Mr. Kovar worked constantly at the little dojo he owned, and even then he never seemed to make enough. It was simply too hard and too much work. Howard had his whole life ahead of him, yet he chose to stay with a kid who couldn't trust him enough to actually tell him what he was going through. And Nomi...well...he was just a means to an end, no? A replacement for the purple haired male.

Yeah.

Randy winced as he pulled off the school clothes he wore and slipped into his _gi_. The nasty but truthful little voice in his head persisted.

You are a coward.

Yeah.

Exactly.

Weak.

Failure.

Can't even protect yourself, what business do you have helping others?

He stopped and looked blankly at the ground, guilt wrapping her gowns around him, hands caressing his face and temples and smiling cruelly at the pain she brought the male.

He was jarred from his thoughts as an alarm echoed through the empty house, forcing the teen to hop down the stairs while trying to put on his shoe. Quickly, he took the shrimp and mixed it in with the pasta, took the pasta and shrimp and put it in three separate containers for lunch before serving himself. He grabbed a glass and some milk, all the while putting the food he made away and then falling upon the dinner he made, hungry as heck due to the fact he had eaten next to nothing that day.

The meal was over too quickly, and Randy lost track of time. He glanced over, saw the dull green numbers telling him the time on the clock and brutally reminding him that he was late, _again_ , causing him to race out the door, barely remembering to grab his clean belt from the dryer and locking the door behind him. It was lucky he had put his karate bag by the door that morning or he would've regretted it massively.

* * *

"I will see you after class, sir," said the well-dressed gentleman before rolling up the window and driving quickly out of the parking lot in an attempt to beat the oncoming traffic.

Nomi watched him leave before entering the beat-up dojo and pulled off his shoes. If he was going to continue attending the trashy public school he would need to keep up with his training. If the advanced class was anything like the one the day before, he would need to... _regretfully_...find a new place to train. When the class finally began, he was unsurprised at the number of students that had shown up, but felt his stomach clench slightly when he saw that the two from earlier that day were there, both dressed in pure white _gis_ and donning black belts.

The girl, Amanda, whispered something into her brother's ear, causing him to laugh. It was a kind laugh, but there was something hidden, just below the surface that caused the redhead's skin to crawl. It reminded him of the story of Snow White, how the princess foolishly ate the poisoned apple simply because there was nothing visibly wrong with it.

"Alright, warm ups are five sit-ups, pushups, and squats," upon seeing Nomi's confused expression Mr. Kovar smiled and walked over. "Watch everyone else."

Nomi simply nodded and watched as the other students did, in their own order, the three drills. It was simple and straightforward, and the male scolded himself mentally at not understanding it earlier. The whole time he watched the twins, attempting to burn holes through the back of their heads and get rid of the little problem before it got worse. It was amazing, unbelievable, but amazing how he had found them. And to think he almost skipped over the school entirely, and was only brought to it because his grandfather had told him how it would be nice if he paused in his hunt to go to a school near him for once. Nomi had agreed, and look at what that had got him, the twins!

It frustrated him to no end, how they could get away from what they did so easily, and act as if they were the reason the sun was still in the air. After the group had finished their warm-ups, which had gone on for five whole minutes before they were done, they had to jump in place while answering questions about presidents. For every problem they got wrong, they would have to add a minute of push-ups. During that time Nomi learned that James Garfield could write with both hands in two different languages simultaneously and that he really underestimated the advanced class.

After that the group was given thirty seconds to get their gloves and a drink or else they would have to do twenty sit-ups. The group almost made it, but was forced to do the exercise because Randy just raced through the door when Mr. Kovar was on the number one. They then had to break up into groups of two, and Nomi almost made it to the twins before he was caught. Randy was grinning at him, face a light red and he was panting slightly, but he had his gear on and already got the handheld punching bags, so Nomi grudgingly agreed.

It was then that the redhead noticed the change in color of the belt Randy was wearing, and found himself rather annoyed by the fact that he was so high up on the chain. When he asked the boy responded in saying that he had gotten it dirty, and was forced to use one of his old belts until it was clean.

During the time they were partners, Randy chatted almost the whole time and was constantly dragging the other into conversation after conversation. He seemed caught off guard by how strong the redhead was at first, but soon the two got into a pattern; cross, jab, dodge, cross, repeat. Too soon they had to switch partners, and the shorter found himself slightly resentful of that. The taller was actually half decent when he wasn't completely annoying and pissing the other off at every turn.

Randy bowed and flashed the other a bright grin before going off to find another partner. And then Nomi found himself staring into the piercing eyes of Amanda.

She smirked. "Is there a reason you've been watching my brother and me?"

Nomi chose not to answer and instead swung heavily at her for the defence drill they were doing. She blocked the blow, her smirk turning to a sneer, and watched him carefully.

"I heard that you're apparently the newest student at our little cesspool school. How do you like it? Surprised?"

"Tch."

"How many friends have you made?"

"Stop trying to act like my mother."

She ignored him. "The looser seems to have taken a liking to you. Are you going to kill him too?"

Nomi flinched slightly. "He's nothing. I have no need for him."

She had seen his moment of weakness. "Of course."

His skin crawled at the slight purr in her voice.

They said nothing after that.

Once there was a break Nomi ignored Randy, who had tried to speak with him. The class was almost over, and the group did several other drills before packing it in. Nomi slipped out of the dojo and to his car without looking back and slammed the car door shut pointedly. The man who was driving the car glanced back at the young master who was lying carelessly along the two plush back seats. The car was a small black limo, on both the outside and in. The seats were dark, puffed up leather that was simply too soft to be anything less than the real deal, and with a small cooler in the wall and glasses hanging upside down, waiting to be used. The teen dimmed the bright lights above the small bar in an attempt to help with the headache he felt coming on.

The male huffed softly before rolling over and giving the man driving a pointed one-eyed look. "What?"

"Young Sir, when we arrive home I will get a bath ready for you. Would you like to do your homework before or after dinner?"

Nomi blinked slowly, eyes softening at the man. "I'll do my work. I did most of it before. Thank you, for the bath."

The man chuckled slightly. "No need to thank me, sir. Oh-before I forget-your grandfather wanted to have dinner with you tonight and speak about where you're going to be transferring to next. He became concerned by your foul mood and started looking into some private schools in the area."

"No, thank you," Nomi waved his hand while he sat up and made himself more comfortable in the car. "I finally found them. So that's alright."

"The master will be most pleased by that fact," he turned sharply, narrowly passing through a light and shot down the old road to a tall black gate surrounded by ivy and tall stone structures to support the fence.

They raced through the gate and continued down the dirt road of the gated community. "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

The gentleman's eyes flashed slightly in pride. "We are having the best end of new season lamb with pine nuts, wild garlic crust and tarragon gnocchi. The master wanted to celebrate the second day you've stayed. It's been so very long, young master."

Nomi smiled without realizing it. "Yeah, well I'll be staying for a while. Tell him that for me?"

"Of course."

The two continued to the large house sitting atop a beautifully dappled hill dotted with the occasional towering sequoia and clusters of perfectly bright green oak trees. Around the expensive clean white mansion were the reddest and most attractive northern oaks, their deep crimson leaves glowing and swaying in the little light from the setting sun that made the home look like it was almost on fire. Common Boston ivy crept up the sides of trees and other small buildings that dotted the road up to the dwelling, blending in well with the old stone used to make the homes.

Upon arriving at the house Nomi left the car with a final wave to the man who had taken him home before going inside. The interior was bright with natural light that slipped through the massive polished glass windows and placed beautiful and intricate designs onto the floor. Reds and golds and whites danced affectionately around the walls of the establishment and blended in with each other, making it hard to tell where one color started and the other ended. Expensive vases and other vials and containers lined the otherwise empty entry room, with pictures leading off into other halls filled with more treasures than any of a lesser class could not possibly hope to see.

A single maid left one of the sitting rooms, saw the young teen, and smiled softly. She had been working for the family before Nomi had been born, and had move with the family to the outskirts of Norrisville. He nodded to her as he passed, mouth opening to say something but she beat him to it.

"The master said that if I saw you when you got home to send you to him."

He paused, turned around, and went back the way he had come, choosing to instead go up the marble stairs that lead up to another floor. "Thank you!"

Upon reaching the large dark oak doors, the male took a deep breath and stepped inside. "Grandfather?"

The man turned to look at the boy, eyes dark and cold. A frown covered his face, hidden behind a slight grey mustache. He was wearing a dark suit with multiple expensive rings on his fingers, which were spread over several stacks of paper.

Nomi blinked.

"I've already got a list of new schools you can go to. I understand you don't want to stay, I can't say I blame you," he spoke quickly but with as little movement as possible to the rest of his body. "I'll give these to you and I expect them to be turned in soon. Okay?"

"Not necessary. I found the two who I've been hunting."

The man's face remained a mask. "You now have several options. I know for a fact you have enough charges against the two to make sure they go to prison for the rest of their lives-"

"Won't work."

The man's eyes narrowed. "And why not?"

"They're minors. If they do end up going to jail they'll most likely be released within two years depending on their ages. They can't be charged a second time for their crimes, and if they get the adult punishment extremists will fight to get them released by their eighteenth birthday," Nomi said simply.

"Then are you going to wait for two _years_ to get them?" the man sounded annoyed.

"No. There'd be no point. And now that they know I'm on their tail's, they'll most likely try to run. The sooner the better."

"You find them today and they know about you already?" the man sounded slightly amused.

Nomi hissed angrily. "Your point?"

The two stared at each other tensely until the grandfather exploded into laughter. He started beating his hands onto the table while Nomi rolled his eyes and cupped his face in his hands. When the man finally subsided in his outburst-with the occasional giggle-he rose to meet a pissed redhead glaring at him.

Nomi's grandfather is a man with power and a strong voice, as well as influence. But the old guy was a joker and a complete fool. The teen was surprised he kept up this facade as long as he did, but was unsurprised when that front came crashing down. For a few fleeting moments Nomi thought the man had actually become stricter...sadly that was not the case here.

When the man who was supposedly dressed in work clothes stood, the teen was even less amused. Go figure the joker would wear nice dress clothing on the top half of his body. He was in nothing but his boxers and bunny slippers on the bottom half. Nomi looked at him with narrowed mahogany slits.

"Really?"

The man didn't even try to dignify himself. "Yes, really."

He grabbed the teen and held him in for a hug until the male shoved him slightly. "You're gonna kill me."

The elderly gentleman let go of his grandson only long enough to drag him down the stairs to their dinner, which was ready. During that time Nomi told his grandfather everything that had happened that day, and then waited for the wise man to respond.

"I assume you aren't going to let them live, right?"

"Of course."

"I don't want you to sink to their level," Nomi opened his mouth to object but was stopped by the man when he raised a hand. "Let me finish. I have allowed you to travel back to Japan and then around this country, but now that you have found them what will you do? You cannot pass judgement upon them, nor will I allow it."

"I don't care what you allow, I need to deal with them permanently!" the redhead rose, as did the older.

"You will not become a killer! Especially not to dirty your hands with useless creatures!"

"But this is something I have to do!"

The elderly man's voice dropped to a small whisper. "You will not tarnish your mother's name by killing. Not even for revenge."

Nomi hesitated for a moment, eyes glancing away to the door and then back again. "I don't want them to hurt anyone else. Not now, not ever."

"And I know that. But I also know that you have a life to live. You've spent enough time chasing after them. Why not just let it go?"

The teen's eyes flashed and he bared his teeth. He snarled, "How _dare_ you say that! She was your _daughter_ and you're going to let her _murderers_ walk away from their crimes?! You were one of the greatest detectives of your time! And now look at you, sitting here and hiding, running away! You, of all people! _Don't_ lecture me on what is right and wrong when you can even face the facts that they _killed_ her!

"How dare you-!"

"She's dead, okay?!" The boy's voice fell to a weak whimper. "She's dead and there was nothing either of us could do."

His grandfather's shoulders slumped. He looked like he wanted to say something to the child, but what could help mend harsh words and the suddenness of death?

"What do you propose we do?"

The teen stiffened, eyes daring to glance up at the man. "What?"

"I don't want you to take this road. But I will help you somewhat. Alright?"

Nomi scowled. "Fine."

The man who had brought Nomi home opened the door and peered inside, already well aware of the problem due to the shouting that had echoed throughout the house. "Dinner is ready, masters."

"Thank you," the other man said, causing the butler to bow and hold the door open for the two.

When the relatives sat to eat a tense silence rested in the air, slowly becoming part of the norm and content with the pain and discomfort that it brought onto the inhabitants of the home. There was the occasional clinking of silverware upon china, along with compliments to the two servants who had made the dish.

The teen ate quickly and fled the table before the older man and even gotten halfway through his meal. Nomi went upstairs to the large bathroom and sighed upon entering. The air was thick with steam from the bath that had been drawn a short while ago and the water was beautifully clear. The room itself was a polished white, with crimson rugs upon the floor to keep anyone getting out of the water from slipping. A shimmering sink with a golden faucet and knobs rested peacefully on the white piece, easily helping in completing the look. It was a large room, including a shower that sat several feet away from the huge marble bathtub. It gave off a rather powerful aura, one that displayed wealth to all beholding it.

The teen slipped out of his clothes, careful to fold and place them gently on the counter by the sink before climbing into the bath, sighing happily and resting in the water.

'Since my _grandfather_ agreed to help, he most likely won't use his influence to help me eliminate the two. He's a coward who only cares about himself. He didn't even care about my mother...his daughter...disgusting. The only real problems I'll have is getting rid of the two and make it appear to be an accident,' the male exhaled slowly. 'But that'll take time, and I don't have very much of that.'

He pushed off from the wall and floated around in the water, eyes dull. Why did the man even care what he did? It wasn't like he really cared. And Randy...that boy was a huge pain in the rear, not to mention the fact that the twins now made him a target. Nomi didn't want anything to happen, but he didn't feel like he needed to watch over the other simply because he got his nose stuck in business that wasn't his to begin with in the first place. What an enormous pain.

After sitting in the water for a while longer and becoming all nice and pruny, the male got out, dressed, and was in his room at his desk finishing the remaining work he had left. He signed, eyes focused and he wrote quickly.

Nomi had a nice room, it was large, with the front part of it looking like a regular bedroom. A large bed with dark sheets and blankets, a mahogany side table to match the unmarked desk the teen was working at. Several buckets of old toys sat neatly in a small alcove created by tall bookshelves stuffed with texts, old and new. A mound of supersized stuffed animals lined the space around the male's bed, and a soft, fluffy red carpet covered the whole part of the room. The back part of the place appeared to be a library, with a tiny space nitched in for someone to just slip through. On the other side of the books were papers and notebooks stuffed with information and data and stats, maps lining the walls and hundreds of passwords to different websites. It looked as if the owner had spent hours collecting all of the data, and that was true. Nomi carefully collected everything, he didn't take his revenge lightly.

Finally, the teen stretched back, satisfied with his work and glancing over as his door opened. The butler from before stood there, eyes glittering slightly.

"Charles, what's wrong?"

"The master wants to see you. He said, and I quote, 'it's actually important this one time. Please come here.'"

Nomi smiled, eyes closing and he stood, head shaking. "He's a crazy old bat. Please wake me up at six tomorrow. I have to look into something before I go to school."

"Of course."

Nomi left his room and started walking down the hall. Charles turned to close the door behind the male.

"Erm...Where is he?"

The gentleman chuckled. "In the main library."

"Thank you."

Nomi arrived at the room in moments and sat down across from the older man, who was reading The Count of Monte Cristo, one of the many famous classical books housed within the walls of the mansion. He was actually wearing pants now, surprise surprise.

"What do you want?"

The man slowly turned a page of his book and continued to read. They both sat in the library, artificial light casting dark shadows onto the ground. Nomi remained stiff, his spine ramrod straight and fists clenched tightly in his lap. Several minutes crawled slowly by, the ticking of an ancient grandfather clock marking the passing of time. It didn't seem like the man was going to say a word. Nomi continued to wait, his patience so thin that at this point he was completely willing to simply drop the man where he sat.

"I am prepared to arm you with several weapons. All of them are nonlethal and have a heavy anesthetic on them. I will also give you a small stun gun."

While the man was talking Charles walked into the room, all the while carrying the items the man was rattling off. Nomi was shocked by the fact that the greedy man was actually doing something other than sitting and cowering.

"The most important weapon you will have is going to be this."

Charles held a small black box, and, nestled comfortably inside of dark black velvet, was a shiny, white, plastic card. The teen was unimpressed.

"What does this do?"

"It grants you authorization to, if needed, forcibly subdue someone. With or without your weapons. It basically says you are a spy and you were employed at a young age to become a detective."

"So...what you're saying is that...if they act up…"

"You can attack them without getting any repercussions."

 **All done! I'll start on the other stories and the next chapter! Please review!**


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